Designerbabies

Discussion
'designed' you. lf you had been them, what would
lmagine that before you were born your parents had
you have changed?Think about these questions:
Which one aspectof your appearancewould you change?
Which one aspectof your character/personality would you change?
How do you think your life might have been different?
Are you pleasedyolrr parents did not designyou or do you wish they had?
Compareyour answers in pairs or small groups.

Reading
Readthrough the articleand answer this question:

Why do the Jones want a baby girl?

reasonsfor wanting a girl go beyond just

NEW LAWSMAY ALLOW w a n t i n g t o r e p l a c eh e r . O u r f a m i l y d o e s n ' t
CHOICEOF BABY'SSEX feel completeany more. I adore our sonsbut
w e w o u l d l i k e a n o t h e rg i r l . "
l i m a n d D e b b i e l o n e s( n o t t h e i r r e a l n a m e s ) ,
whose daughter was killed in a tragic C e n d e r s e l e c t i o ni s o n l y p o s s i b l ei n B r i t a i n
domestic accident last year, plan to use the f o r m e d i c a lr a t h e rt h a n s o c i a l ,p s y c h o l o g i c a l
n e w B r i t i s hh u m a n r i g h t s l a w s t o w i n t h e o r p h y s i c a lr e a s o n sP. r o - l i f ec a m p a i g n e r s a y
legal right to choosethe sex of their baby. that if the Jonesare allowed to choosethe sex
of their baby, it could lead to babies
The Jones,who have four sons, say that the
' f e m a l e d i m e n s i o n ' h a s d i s a p p e a r e df r o m b e c o m i n g c o n s u m e r i t e m s . A s p o k e s m a n
s a i d :" W e a r e t o t a l l yo p p o s e dt o e n g i n e e r i n g
their family since the death of Jasmine.
" W o r d s c a n n o t d e s c r i b ew h a t i t f e e l sl i k e t o t h e n u m b e r s a n d g , e n d e r so f p e o p l e i n
society.That leadsonly to disaster."
losethe little girl we had wanted for so long.
W e k n o w a n o t h e rg i r l w o n ' t r e p l a c eJ a s m i n e , T h e J o n e s ' l a w y e r s w i l l b e b a s i n g t h e i r
but we want the chance lo Iry," said Jim a r g u m e n t so n n e w h u m a n r i g h t sl e g i s l a t i o n .
"What we're hoping to do with the use A r t i c l e s i x g u a r a n t e e se v e r y o n e a ' f a i r
Jones.
o f t e c h n o l o g yi s c r e a t et h e f e m a l ed i m e n s i o n h e a r i n g 'f r o m p u b l i c a u t h o r i t i e sa n d A r t i c l e
again. We have psychologists'reports and e i g h t p r o t e c t s t h e r i g h t o f e v e r y o n e t o
'resDectfor familv life'.
doctors'reoortswhich confirm that our

Read the article again. Mark the following sentencestrue (T) or false (F):
1.The.|onesfeel they need a baby girl to make their family completeagain.
2. At the moment in Britain it is not possibleto choosethe sex of your baby.
3. New laws on human rights may allow the Jonesto choosethe sex of their baby.

Discussion
Discussthis question in pairs or small groups:
\Why not?
Do .vonthink the Jonesshould be allowed to chooseto have a baby girl? Why?

12 Designerbabies Taboosand /ssues

F
-

= Language
-l
{ Look at these sentences from the article. Notice the expressions with rghf;
Jim and Debbie Jonesplan to win the legal right to choosethe sex of their baby.
= Article eig,htprotects the right of everyoneto'respect for family life'.
Cross out the word in italics which does not collocate with right:
:t
1.You can hdue, win, protect, demand, build, defend, challengethe right to choose'
- 2.It's a(n) legal, moral, straight, automatic, basic nght.
-
Look at the sentences below. Mark them in the following way:
= tl if you agree
X if you disagree
='
? it you partly agree and partly disagree
= 1. An unborn child has rights.Those rights must be protected.
2. \X/edon'r have the right to interferewith a child's future personality and appearance.
:T 3. Deciding the ser of your child will be a basic right in fifty years' time.
=t 4. \7e should have the automatic right to chooseparticular genesfor our own babies.
Compareyour answers in pairs or small groups.
=

= Discussion
=r Work in pairs or small groups. ln each of the following situationssomeone is explainingwhat genetic
selectionthey want to make and why. Decidewhetheryou think they should be allowedto do what they
want.
Fr 5. The male membersof my family often suffer

F
1. There is a history of red hair in my family.
I have red hair and I was badly teasedat from a rare and unpleasantbone disease.
school.I would like to make sure my child I would therefore like to make sure I have a

F does not have red hair. baby girl.

F 2.My four-year-olddaughter,my only child, has

a fatal blood disease.Shewill die before she
6.I feel there is too much violenceand aggression
in the world. I would like to make sure my

F is 12 unlesswe can find a match for a bone child is a calm and gentleperson.
' f,:lf1l'*j:*:;i::'J,fl:'j:"1,::
;::H:'""Hl".
[xTi:.,.;il]'li[JJ;:il;
F Tii:'.
F 3.ln my family there is a history of a fatal disease eyesand be about medium height when she

tr that affectsthe nervous system.I want to make grows up.

sure that my baby is not likely to get this
8.I suffer from a geneticdiseasewhich I inherited

F disease. from my mother. My children have

a one in five chanceof having the samegene.

ts
4.I'm a universityprofessorand my husbandis a
doctor. We'd like to make sure our babv is Before I start a family, I want to have treatment

ts intelligent. to make sure I do not passon this gene.

F
"We will still have sex for pleasure,of course, but we will
view our children as too damn important to leave it to
a random meetingof sperm and egg."

F
Greg Stock, UCLA professor of procreation

Are you fascinated or horrified by this topic?

F
F
rt
Taboosand /ssues Designerbabies 12